The ECO-eNET project is proud to highlight the participation of Professor Daniel Kilper at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC 2026), taking place from 15–19 March 2026 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Recognised as the world’s largest and most influential in-person event for optical networking and communications, OFC brings together global leaders from academia, industry, and research to showcase cutting-edge advances shaping the future of connectivity.
Pushing Beyond Convergence: Towards Full Confluence
At this year’s technical conference, Professor Kilper presented the paper: “Radio-Optical Confluence in Intelligent Edge Networks” As next-generation networks evolve, the densification of radio access infrastructure is creating new challenges around scalability, efficiency, and cost. This research explores a forward-looking architectural shift- from traditional radio and optical convergence to a more unified concept of full confluence. Rather than treating radio and optical domains as interconnected but distinct layers, this approach seeks to integrate them more deeply within intelligent edge networks. The goal is to enable more adaptive, efficient, and scalable systems capable of supporting emerging 6G use cases and increasingly data-intensive applications.
A Collaborative Research Effort This work reflects a strong collaboration between leading researchers across institutions.
The paper is co-authored by:
- Akshita Gupta, Trinity College Dublin
- Devika Dass, Trinity College Dublin
- Agastya Raj, Trinity College Dublin
- Marco Ruffini
- Paolo Monti, Chalmers University of Technology
- Daniel Kilper
Together, the team brings expertise spanning optical networking, wireless systems, and edge intelligence-key pillars of the ECO-eNET project’s mission. ECO-eNET is focused on foundational research into emerging transmission technologies that enable a new class of confluent edge networks -where optical and wireless systems operate as a unified infrastructure.
Global Engagement at OFC Participation in OFC 2026 underscores ECO-eNET’s role in shaping international conversations around the future of networking. By contributing to one of the field’s most influential platforms, the project continues to drive innovation and collaboration at the intersection of optical and wireless technologies.